I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time!  Yeah, so I might have registered under the influence of a few glasses of wine, giggling to myself (and hoping Shane wouldn’t freak out when he found out how much it cost!) and thinking it could be fun.  And now it’s finally here.  I have a feeling I am going to be sad tomorrow after each leg is over.  After months of training and all the sacrifices, it’ll be over in one day.  Guaranteed within 17 hours – no matter how it ends.

To get pumped up, I like to watch the coverage from last year:

That gives you a good idea of what kind of day I”m in store for tomorrow.

We went to the dinner and athlete briefing last night.  The dinner was very fun and inspiring.  They told us fun facts about the race this year.  For instance, only 24% of competitors are female.  Go us!  1100 of the 2500 athletes are TEXANS.  410 athletes are over 50 years old.  The oldest racer is 80 and the youngest is 18; the average age is 37.  95% of Ironman triathletes have a college degree – yeah, they’d have to have a decent job, this sport is not cheap.

They held a competition to see who had lost the most weight during training.  One man lost 230 pounds – 230!!! He has been training since 2010.  THAT is incredible.  Lots of husband and wife teams out there – don’t know how they do it, especially if they have kids.

So tomorrow.  D Day, as they call it.  As WE call it, I guess.  There are 800 athletes tomorrow for whom it will be our FIRST Ironman – about 30% of us have never done this before.  To my fellow athletes – good luck, godspeed, and if you swim over me I will elbow you in the nuts.

And to Mike Reilly – there are only four words I want to hear from you.

Saturday morning is coming.  Quickly.

At 7am I will be treading water with 2500 of my closest friends, waiting for the gun to go off so we can begin the 2.4-mile swim.  Before the 112-mile bike ride.  Before the 26.2-mile (full marathon) run. 

On Saturday, I will be racing in my first Ironman!

I kept it a secret for a long time.  From friends, from teammates, from coaches.  I didn’t want to hear the negativity – that I couldn’t do it, that it was crazy, that I wasn’t experienced enough.   They don’t have any idea what I am capable of.   I don’t think I even have an idea yet.  But hopefully I will on Saturday.

I was reading the intro to Chrissie Wellington’s book, A Life Without Limits.  For those who don’t know, Chrissie Wellington is a 4-time Ironman World Champion.  She didn’t start triathlon til later in life, had no natural athletic abilities, and honed her skills merely through determination and heart – lots and lots of heart.  She said that all Ironman competitors ask themselves the same two things before the race. 1) Will I finish? And 2) At what cost?

I got this someecard from my in-laws this morning.  Aren’t they funny?

Goal #2 for me is always to finish the race.  I know, it should be Goal #1, right?  Yeah but Goal #1 for me is always to not shit myself.  Seriously.  If you don’t know much about endurance sports and effects on gastrointestinal issues, Google can help you.  When your blood is busy keeping your legs moving, you can lose control of basic bodily functions.  TMI, I know.  And Goal #3 is always to finish in under [whatever time goal I have set for myself].  Well, my friends…the day has come when Goals 1 and 2 have switched places.  I want to finish.  And that’s the price I’m putting on it.  Shitting myself.  I would rather shit myself than not finish.  That’s how badly I want to finish.  Ideally, I will finish AND not shit myself, but hey, we can’t have everything we want.  Cross your fingers.

Why am I doing this?  Why would anyone subject themselves to this?  What is the pull, the desire?

Put simply, because I can.  Because WHY THE HELL NOT.  There are people who can’t do this.  I can, and I will.  Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has changed my life.  A year ago I had not yet run my first marathon.  I didn’t really know anyone in Houston.  I weighed almost 140 pounds (while not at all a heavy weight, not MY happy weight and not my natural weight – it was a result of eating garbage and not working out – oh, and lots of wine).  I was very unhappy.  Today, I have run 4 full marathons, 5 half marathons, countless 5Ks and 10Ks, 2 sprint triathlons, 3 Olympic triathlons, and 2 half-ironman distance triathlons.  I have many amazing friends whom I’ve met through TNT, several of whom are blood cancer survivors and have been directly impacted by LLS’ efforts. I have bonded even more with my friends who have since joined.  I weigh 115 pounds (would like to gain just a little back, this is my race weight).  AND I AM SO HAPPY.  I feel healthy, and while Shane and I are both busy bees, we have the best time together and I think this has truly helped our relationship.  It was never rocky, but my unhappiness made it not as bright as it could be…does that make sense?  I can’t say enough good things about TNT. 

I want to raise awareness about TNT and our mission to cure blood cancer.  But I NEED YOUR HELP.  If you have even $5 to donate today, if you’re even slightly interested in what I’ve written here, or just think that the idea of doing an Ironman is pretty cool – won’t you help? I will not stop until we have reached the ultimate finish line – a cure. 

On Friday I get to meet Chrissie Wellington and she’ll sign my copy of A Life Without Limits.  And that’s the way I want to live.

I can do this.

This week starts my final preparations for what will be one of the longest days EVER.  I got an email from Aimee (my SiL, you know her by now, right?), with only two words:

It’s coming.

IMTX setup has begun in The Woodlands.  AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!  I got my magic tyres put on at TOTR on Monday – hopefully they will better my odds of not flatting on the bike course!

Yesterday was nuts.  NUTS, I tell you.  But one good thing came from all the crazy and made me proud to be an American:

My heart swelled.  As a Jewish woman, I believe in EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL.  Period.  End of story.  I find Obama to be just as capable and intelligent as I did 4 years ago, and make no mistake – I will be casting my vote for him again on November 6th.  And donating to his campaign, as I did yesterday.

President Obama, I cannot forgive you for waiting so long to do the right thing when it comes to marriage equality, but thank you for doing it now.  Regardless of the disappointing (but of course anticipated) vote in NC on Tuesday, my friend Ada put it very well.  “Don’t fail to remember all of the other times throughout history that civil liberties were denied.  This is not the first or last time that people will be denied equal rights based on misapplied religious doctrine, but I guarantee the ultimate result will be the same.  History speaks for itself.”  That’s  much more eloquent than me saying, “psh…rednecks.”  JUST KIDDING (I’m plenty eloquent).  I will continue to speak out for marriage equality until EVERYONE has the same rights.  Gay pride arm warmers and ALL.

Anyway.

Yesterday was the fall season kickoff for TNT and I am SO EXCITED about the upcoming season.  I will be doing a cycle event (Viva Bike Vegas) to FINALLY get my Triple Crown award (you need to do a marathon, triathlon, and century ride for this, and so far I have done zero cycle events).  AND I am a mentor for Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco – with some amazing ladies!  Aimee is doing her first TNT event (we are having a VERY exciting fundraiser in September so stay tuned) and (duh) we are doing Nike with Kristen, Amy D, Valerie, Marisa, and Julie – well with some other crazy gals too – but the 7 of us are planning a NAPA TRIP after the race.  NAPA, NAPA, NAPA *more chanting*  Cue me hoarding my vacation days.

READY for fall season to start.

My little sister Stephanie graduates from college this Saturday.  She’s receiving her BS in Interdisciplinary Studies, is a certified teacher Pre-K through 12th grade, passed her PPR, and is ESL certified.  She won’t find out if she has a job at her current district (in our hometown) until the end of the summer, but they’ve written her such amazing letters of recommendation and I’m hopeful they’ll find her a spot.  I’m so proud of her!  Proud of her for pushing through and doing something she loves.  Can’t wait to see her walk across the stage!

In other news, taper to me means not training.  Seriously, I don’t know what’s gotten into me.  I’m just exhausted lately, can’t focus on anything, don’t want to train, just want to do the race.  Our brick practice was cancelled on Tuesday due to rain and I did not make it to the gym.  I’ll go swimming tonight, and running this weekend.  I need to sneak in a 30 mile bike ride sometime.  TAPER.  Oh, and I’m starving.  I can eat a seriously disturbing amount of food these days.  Bring on the doughnuts.

Isn’t there power in positive thinking?  I found this on the IMTX thread on BT, and it was modified from freeswimmingfish on the IMAZ thread.  This is what I have to believe for the next 10 days….

Right now you’ve all entered the taper. Perhaps you’ve been at this a few months,
perhaps you’ve been at this a few years. For some of you this is your first IM,
for others, a long-overdue welcome back to a race that few can match. Finishing an Ironman is never an accident. It’s the result of dedication,
focus, hard work, and belief that all the long runs in March, long rides in
April, and long swims every damn weekend will be worth it. It comes from
getting on the bike, day in, day out. It comes from long, solo runs. From that
first long run where you wondered, “How will I ever be ready?” to the
last long run where you smiled to yourself with one mile to go…knowing that
you’d found the answer.

You’ve been following your schedule to the letter. You’ve been piling on the
mileage, piling up the laundry, and getting a set of tan lines that will take
until next year to erase. Long rides were followed by long runs, which both
were preceded by long swims, all of which were followed by recovery naps that
were longer than you slept for any given night during college.

You ran in the dark.

You rode in the rain.

You ran in the heat.

You ran in the cold.

You went out when others stayed home.

You rode the trainer when others pulled the covers over their heads.

You have survived the Darwinian progression that is an Ironman summer, and now
the hardest days are behind you. Like a climber in the Tour de France coming
over the summit of the penultimate climb on an alpine stage, you’ve already
covered so much ground…there’s just one more climb to go. You shift up, you
take a drink, you zip up the jersey; the descent lies before you…and it will
be a fast one.

Time that used to be filled with never-ending work will now be filling with
silent muscles, taking their final, well-earned rest. While this taper is
something your body desperately needs, your mind cast off to the background for
so very long, will start to speak to you.

It won’t be pretty.

It will bring up thoughts of doubt, pain, hunger, thirst, failure, and loss. It
will give you reasons why you aren’t ready. It will try and make one last stand
to stop you, because your brain doesn’t know what the body already does. Your
body knows the truth:

You are ready.

Your brain won’t believe it. It will use the taper to convince you that this is
foolish – that there is too much that can go wrong.

You are ready.

It is worth it. Now that you’re at the taper, you know it will be worth it. The
workload becomes less. The body winds up and prepares, and you just need to
quiet your worried mind. Not easy, but you can do it.

You are ready.

As many of you know, on May 19th (less than a month, ACK) I’m taking on a feat that a year ago I would have imagined impossible: Ironman Texas.  A year ago I hadn’t even run my first marathon yet.  A year ago I barely knew how to ride a bike.  A year ago this would have sounded crazy.  This still sounds crazy.

What is an Ironman triathlon? An Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile (full marathon) run.  All in 17 hours.

Why would I do something like this? I’m at the point in my training where I can’t truly say.  It seems ridiculous, to the point where I’m offering other people my race spot at pit stops on training rides in bunkass towns.  But, of course, that’s my screaming legs talking.  Put simply, I’m doing it because I can.  TNT/LLS has given me something, a part of my life that I really love – I can’t wait to sport the colors and rock out on the course.  I want to spread the mission.  On my 30 before 30 list, I said that I want to raise at least $30,000, and I’m at well over $11,000.  Can’t believe it!

Last weekend I went on an 80 mile bike ride on the course (we are very lucky to live a half hour away from The Woodlands, but then again, that’s why I chose THIS Ironman) with my friend Jessica…it wasn’t my first time to go that far, and it obviously won’t be my last, but I was honestly just bonking.  I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me.  I almost cried when I looked down and saw we had only gone 26 miles – it felt like 56.  And I knew we were climbing, on the hillier part of the course, but I couldn’t believe how bad I felt and how slow I was going (averaged 15mph).  Upon seeing one of the tougher hills coming up, I said out loud, “MOTHERFUCKING WHY????”.  Yeah, I felt that shitty. We stopped in Richards, at a teeny general store where many cyclists stop to refill bottles.  I said that I thought my brake was rubbing and a nice man came over to look and fix it – I still know jack about bikes.  So the 40 miles back to The Woodlands was cake compared to the way out.  Except my legs were tired from trying to maintain speed…ugh.

I’m constantly starving.  I eat everything in sight.  Don’t hate me when I say this, but I can’t stop dropping weight…I’m really trying to put it back on.  The scale read 117 yesterday, which is a number I haven’t seen since high school – I’m definitely more comfortable when 5-8 lbs heavier (in case you are wondering, I’ve now dropped over 20 lbs since starting endurance sports).  I’ve started eating a lot more than I usually would to compensate.  I’m all, “I need TWO muffins, I’m hungry.”  Or today after my big lunch, two cookies.  Hey – my lady parts hurt from being on a bike for 5 hours, I can have two f-ing cookies, ok?

I’ve given up alcohol.  Let me repeat that.  I’VE GIVEN UP ALCOHOL.  I’m going on Day 8 and so far, sobriety is not for me.  I miss wine something fierce.  Today all I wanted on the way home was to relax with a glass.  Liquor is easy because I hardly ever drink it.  Beer, feh – fun with the team after a workout but I could take it or leave it.  But I was in such a cranky mood tonight because I knew I couldn’t drink my wine.  I’ve decided to start hoarding in preparation for May 20th – when I can finally have some.  Yes, I’ve just written an entire paragraph on when I get to drink wine again.  I LOVE WINE.  Of that I am sure.

I have one more hard workout weekend – long run on Friday, 3800 meter open water swim on Saturday, Kemah Triathlon (Olympic distance) on Sunday – can’t wait to jump off that boat!  Then I get to start tapering.  No runs over 15 miles, no bike rides over 70 miles, no swimming.  No swimming.  Just kidding.

May 19th is almost here – and while I’m super sad to be missing my blogger friends at BiSC this year, while I am on the course I will picture them gambling, partying, and sipping cocktails next to the pool – and me pushing them IN the pool.  Just joking.  I’m just jealous.

May is almost here.

And PS – I will never do something this stupid again.  Swearsies.

Part II: Purpose

I am truly focused on making 2012 a good year – for me, for my husband, for my family.  In general.  My word for this year is “light,” and corresponds to my motto, “let the light in.”  I want to live with purpose.  I want to be open and let light in…as you might have guessed.  I’m having trouble with this already.

I’ve heard a lot of things this past week that have been speaking to me.  First, my friend Kaci posted something on Facebook that I can really relate to – she said, “Not too long ago, someone said to me: “I don’t know how you do it.” The answer is two-fold. 1. I don’t. 2. I’m always about 2.5 seconds away from a complete breakdown.”

Well, people always say that to me, and my answers are the same as hers – I don’t, AND I’m always 2.5 seconds away from a complete breakdown.

I’m like a house.  Just a regular, ok house.  It looks good on the outside, pretty sturdy looking.  But there are cracks in the foundation.  For so long I’ve tried to convince myself that the cracks don’t need to be fixed – as long as the outside is fine, I’ll be fine, right?

Do you know what happens to a house with cracks in the foundation?  How about when there’s additional stress put inside?  They can’t be ignored any longer – sooner or later, the house is going to implode, sink, start breaking apart.  And if you sort of, kind of address the problem, but don’t really fix it, it’s bound to happen again…right?

But I don’t know where to start.  Where did I go wrong?  When did I become someone who needed help, who wasn’t ok, who couldn’t just be happy?  God that would be so easy IF IT WERE SO EASY.   Something’s missing and I don’t know what it is. And the person that I am just can’t let anyone help – I’m afraid of more damage that might be caused to me, to my house.  I don’t want to be hurt. My MO in the past (and present it would seem) is keep things light, don’t let it get too heavy, don’t let anyone in, hurt them before they hurt you, push them away, keep them out.

Jennifer Weiner wrote, “I want a house with hardwood floors, and I don’t want anyone to come inside.”  Yes, another quote I read this week that spoke to me.  I AM a house with hardwood floors, and I won’t let anyone come inside.

My resolution is proving to be much harder than just changing.  Someone who’s been holding dark inside for so long can’t simply let light in.  The voice inside me is saying more loudly than ever, “You can’t do this.  You’re nothing.  You won’t.”  I’ve gone wrong somewhere.  But where?

This wasn’t my secret, but it might as well be.

It’s time for the annual survey….geez, it seems like yesterday I was writing last year’s!!

I’m ready for 2012, even if it IS supposed to be the apocalypse.  But for different reasons.  Last year I was ready for 2011 because 2010 was such a hard year.  I was ready to start a new year in our new home. 

This time I’m ready for a new year because 2011 was so kickass that I can’t wait to see what 2012 brings!

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
We bought a house in Houston in March, I started a new job in April, I attended BiSC in May, I ran my first marathon with TNT in June, I co-hosted a rehearsal dinner for my gorgeous sister-in-law, I started triathlon (finishing the season off with a half ironman), enjoyed a Thanksgiving with both my parents and my husband’s here in Houston.

Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
My 2011 resolutions were to pay off my credit cards (CHECK), lose the remaining 7lbs I had left (CHECK), take a big trip and some small ones (CHECK) find a job I enjoy (CHECK), buy a new computer (FAIL), and to not have any babies (TRIPLE CHECK).

What are your new year’s resolutions for 2012?
I’m following Nicole’s guide to goal-setting and outlining a sort of life plan for the next year.  That being said, I do have a couple of big goals….firstly, buy a decent bike (ah, how my priorities have shifted) and finish my first Ironman – Ironman Texas on May 19th (I’ll have to miss BiSC this year…major bummer).  Next, take my sister on a post-college-graduation trip.  She wants to go to Paris….um, OKAY!  I’d also like to travel some with Shane…go to NY to visit his parents, maybe go somewhere we’ve never been together before….we might go to the beach with my parents.  I hate to be vague with resolutions but another of mine is to stop making people  priorities when they obviously don’t make me one – I will not stand for flakiness, I’m far too busy.  On the work front, I’d like to get a couple of different projects going here at the office.  No details, sorry…I work in HR!  But stuff that will show my value to the company.  Oh, and no babies still.

 Did anyone close to you give birth?
YES!  My good friend (and bridesmaid in our wedding) Merritt had baby Mason, the first of my close circle to give birth.  It’s so funny because it feels like yesterday we were zipping around in her red Mustang in high school.  Well, Merr was zipping, I was willing us to not die.  ;o) 

Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness.

What places did you visit?
Besides the random trips to Dallas and Austin, I went to San Diego for the marathon with TNT, and also to DC for The Nation’s Triathlon.  Shane and I took a 2-year-anniversary trip to San Francisco and Napa. 

What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
Well, as long as we’re being materialistic, I’ll say a nice tri bike and a sweet Mac computer.  I said last year that I also wanted a filter on my mouth – to not be snarky.  Well, I’m retracting that for 2012.  I don’t want a filter.  From now on, if people are being shitty, I’m going to let them know.  That being said, I’ve gotten a lot better at holding my tongue and making smartass remarks when the only result will be hurting someone’s feelings.  I don’t want to hurt people for the sake of honesty or my opinion.  BUT I’m going to be up front with people about my feelings.  I have a lot of friends…I don’t need any fake ones.

What dates from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 24th was our 2-year wedding anniversary, of course.  On June 5th I ran my first marathon.  On June 12th my sis-in-law got married! 

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Honestly, all the fundraising I was able to do for TNT.  I have raised almost $8,000 so far and it’s one of my life goals to raise $30K.  And it would be a lie to say it’s selfless fundraising – it makes me feel awesome to participate in these events with such awesome people, and raise money for blood cancer research.  TNT means a LOT to me.

What was your biggest failure?
This is a really assholic thing to say, but I feel like 2011 was a major WIN.  It rocked.  I guess I would say my one failure is time management.  I need to spend more time on our house and carve out specific “family time” instead of running around all the time, literally and figuratively.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Hurt my ankle 3 weeks before the San Diego Marathon.  Oy.  And….major sunburns.  Sunscreen is a top priority from now on.

What was the best thing you bought?
A bike.  I was really nervous about starting triathlon because I was NOT OK on a bike.  I could barely ride at all.  It is definitely still the weakest leg for me, but the good news is I’m not scared.  I also didn’t want to spend a lot of money on something I wasn’t even sure I’d like.  Well, I fell in love with triathlon and there’s no going back now!

Whose behavior merited celebration?
I’ve always thought this is a weird question.  But – probably all of my awesome family and friends who supported my endurance and fundraising efforts…coming out to numerous pub crawls, happy hours, St. Arnold’s nights, date auctions, etc.  You guys…there are no words.  You rock my world.

Where did most of your money go?
Besides the boring stuff, it went to sports and travel and fundraising!

 What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Not as exciting as last year’s MOVE TO TEXAS, but I was excited of course about all the races and spending a big Thanksgiving together AND all my friends getting married, having babies, etc.

What song will always remind you of 2011?
“Ours” by Taylor Swift.

Thanks for a wonderful year….family, friends, TNT, and Houston.

I’m fed up with lazy people.  I have no sympathy.  I’m surrounded by them and it makes me want to scream.  Same ol’ circus, different clowns.  Or the same clowns.  Whatever.

Be productive.  Get off your ass.  Do something.

If you’re sitting around waiting for life to start, you’re going to be waiting an awfully long time. CONTRIBUTE. LEARN. GROW. GO.

Know this:  I don’t feel sorry for you.

Lazy people, I don’t respect you.  How can you expect people to respect you if you so clearly don’t respect yourself?

I don’t like you. You’re a waste of space.  I need that space. I need you to get out of my space so I can make something of my world.

The world doesn’t happen to you.  You create your own world.

Play the cards you’re fucking DEALT.  If they suck, so be it.  Everybody gets a hand that sucks once in awhile. But you have to PLAY.  If you fold…well….then you fold.

I’m gonna keep playing.  And BECAUSE I keep playing, I’m gonna win the whole damn thing.

I don’t know why I was suddenly inspired to create a 30 before 30.  Maybe it was seeing everyone with their goals lined out in front of them (the Myers-Briggs test told me I’m an INTJ so is it part of my personality?).  Maybe it’s because my sister-in-law is having her big 3-0 in 19 days now! Not sure.  Either way.  Here it is, in the order I wrote them down off the top of my head.  In the future if you want to see the list, go to the new tab I’m creating for it!

I found a lot of adorable “30 before 30″ images, but went with this one – I grew up in Dallas.  So…appropriate.

1.  Pay off all debt (credit card AND student loan)
2.  Complete a full Ironman – gulp.
3.  Figure out what I want to do for a living – and start doing it!
4.  Finally replace my ‘03 Dell  – maybe with a MacBook Pro (also, learn Photoshop while I’m at it)?
5.  Raise $30,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (currently at over $6k).
6.  Spend all day writing at a coffee shop.
7.  Shave my head – because as much as I want my long locks back, I AM NOT MY HAIR.
8.  Travel to Greece and Israel with my husband.
9.  Cultivate an interest in fashion (I really really hate picking out clothes and am horrible at it).
10.  Work on a presidential campaign.
11.  Start a community blogging project.
12.  Go one month without alcohol (and can’t be because of pregnancy, that’s cheating).
13.  Get my wedding dress cleaned and sealed (it’s been almost 2 years).
14.  Take my sister on a college graduation trip.
15.  Get a Brazilian wax (never have before and well why not?!  TMI?).
16.  Go skydiving.
17.  Learn to like scotch (obviously cannot be during a pregnancy either).
18.  Move from Texas again, possibly abroad – but always come back!
19.  Write 100 Yelp reviews – not all of them bad.
20.  Go on a retreat by myself.
21.  Inspire my parents – I don’t know how or what I want to inspire them to do, but…
22.  Take time to organize and settle into our house (cultivate an interest in decorating??)
23.  Swear off meat for good – fish too.  Damn you birds, you’re just so delicious I keep coming back.
24.  Take a Great American Road Trip – Grand Canyon, Mt. Rushmore, Niagara Falls, etc.
25.  Open an etsy shop selling something creative.
26.  Take a cooking class.
27.  Learn how to quilt – more specifically, learn from my grandmother.
28.  Learn another foreign language – French?  Italian?  GREEK?
29.  Invent a “signature dish” – my mom always makes rigatoni – I need my own!
30.  Sponsor a child from Save the Children in the Appalachians.

I’m also working on a life list.  Some of the goals are the same because I feel like some are big enough to qualify as LIFE goals.  That one is still a work in progress!

Since our move to Houston, I’ve felt like this has been the start of a completely new chapter of our lives.

We sold our house and moved BACK across the country.  Shane moved to a new position within his company (he’s the most loyal employee EVER – he’s been with his company since after his junior year of college).  We lived in two different apartments and then moved into our new house. The dogs have been happily adjusting to their pocket-sized backyard and shiny wood floors (they slide all over the place when they run around!).

But I was in the same job, working for the team back in Charlotte.  There was a LOT of disconnect after I moved here, not being with the rest of the team.  And I just didn’t feel like I was in the right place at the right time. 

So I’ve been on the hunt for a fabulous new job.  And you guys….

I GOT IT.

I GOT THE FABULOUS NEW JOB.

It seems like a perfect fit, like it’s the one I’ve been waiting for.  I still feel like I’m in a dream, like I’m going to wake up and they’ll be all, “Hahahahha, you thought you got this job?! Sucka!!”

I’m not offering any details as to what it is yet, since I don’t start til April 4^th. But I just know it’s going to be wonderful. 

Now all of this change is hitting me like a brick wall and feels really really real.  It’s funny because I’ve now lost almost all of the weight (20 lbs, yall) I gained in Charlotte.  Best friend J came to visit from Chicago on her spring break last week and she merely said, “Texas is good for you.”  Texas IS good for me.  It’s my home.  I simply know in my heart we’re going to be so happy here in Houston.  We already are.

Gratuitous picture of Shane at Warrior Dash…he doesn’t look so happy here, but I promise he is!  We had a blast with our friends MA and Jay: